Saturday, July 5, 2008

Marathon Training! Week 6

Happy belated 4th of July. And a very happy Cinco de Julio while we’re at it. (I guess it doesn’t have the same ring as Cinco de Mayo...)
Anyway, I think it’s safe to say that this week in my training focused a lot on safety after the dog incident.
I did some very unscientific research about safety during running, and here are some of the suggestions I heard/read:
- Husband, only half-joking, suggested I carry a shotgun. Or a knife. But then he proposed the more realistic option of carrying mace.
- My mom told me about a lady that she knows that walks with a golf club. (I can only imagine how funny that conversation might sound for me at a golf store. Clerk: “Oh, so you’re taking up golfing? Me: “Nope, running.”)
- I read about a man that carries a small baton to shoo away any dogs that approach him.
- On a few runner’s forums, some suggested carrying mace or pepper spray. Others echoed the recommendation of being assertive and telling the dog in a loud voice to “go home” or “get away.”
I’m going to look into the mace option, assuming there’s a type that’s small and that can clip to my Camelback.
But, it makes me laugh because I never thought that I would end up with so much running gear!
I wear sunscreen. I wear sunglasses. I (sometimes) wear a hat. I wear an athletic watch. I wear special running socks to protect my feet. My parents gave me a Camelback as a gift (so I wouldn’t get dehydrated), and I wear that for long runs. I also carry a cell phone (on the inside pocket of the Camelback) in case I get injured or run into problems. I also put that cell phone in a plastic bag to protect it from getting wet. I carry a house key tied to my shoelace.
And now I’m thinking of carrying mace?
I joked with Husband that if I get any more gear, I won’t be able to carry it all and the only solution would be to bring it in a car. And then I won’t be running, I’ll be driving.

They make little mase that will clip onto your keyring so you could also put in on the camelpack...I used to run with a stick (not a big one, but a little light one) just in case. Now, I don't worry about it so much, but after your incident, I have thought twice about it.~K

I’m lucky enough to be married to my best friend, who happens to be a military pilot. I love writing, traveling, and most of all, cooking. Warning: If I get to know you long enough, I will try to feed you.